


Conversations

by Mika-chan (mikarin)



Category: Digimon, Digimon - All Media Types, Digimon Adventure Zero Two | Digimon Adventure 02
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2001-04-23
Updated: 2001-04-23
Packaged: 2017-10-15 06:13:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,159
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/157838
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mikarin/pseuds/Mika-chan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He won't talk to anyone else, anyone but him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Conversations

**Author's Note:**

> Set three or four years after the end of 02.

He was sitting on a swing so I logically did what anyone else would do. I pushed him. How was I to know that he wasn't holding onto the chains? It wasn't like I meant to push him on the ground. It was funny though, watching his arms flail a bit before he landed on the sand. Oh I would have laughed, three years ago I would have laughed hard, but the rational side of me was actually working today and registered the heated glare aimed at me.

I smiled though; you can't blame me for doing that. It was funny and when something is funny, you smiled. And if you're me, you smiled cheekily.

He didn't say anything, just scowled and turned away, hugging his knees and resting his head on top of them. I felt my smile weaken a bit, and I hopped through the chains and sat down on his swing.

He was in one of his moods again. They come randomly these days though I've come to expect it from him now. Back then we would have flipped if we saw him like this but come to think of it Iori did when he happened to catch this side of him. As for the rest of us we had no idea.

He was Takeru. He was cheerful, hopeful Takeru. I guess that's why people tend to forget he's also human. He was allowed to get angry if he wanted to. Why not?

"So...what's up?" I ask, not looking at him directly and start swaying the swing a little. He mumbled a reply. I've come to recognize it as the "nothing" mumble. I frowned at his back. It was always the same. I'd happen to be walking through the park, find him sitting somewhere staring off at nothing, ask him what's wrong, and he'd say nothing. It's become like a ritual between us. I don't mind it really. Actually, it makes me feel kinda special, as corny as it sounds, because I'm the only one he would talk to when he was like this.

It's ironic really. Who would have thought? Takeru opening up to me—ME of all people. If someone told me this three years ago I would have laughed. No, actually first I'd of snorted, laughed a whole lot and then say something along the lines of "Right...and Yamato is dating my sister." It didn't make any sense. We never got along outside what happened in the Digiworld, and even then those times were not a whole lot.

I've tried to figure out why it's come to be this way and it just makes my head hurt. The first time I found him like this I didn't know what to think. Well that isn't really true. To tell you the truth, I was jumping for joy inside. Finally, the GREAT Takeru is angsting over something like a _normal_ human being. Ha!

Well, that feeling was very short-lived. At the time, my brain was functioning, putting two and two together and I figured it must be something serious to get a reaction like this out of the carrier of hope. Besides, I couldn't just leave him like that. I am the new holder of the crest of friendship right? So it's like my job to be friendly with everyone even if it is my rival. Did that sound as convincing to you as it did to me back then?

So with as much grace as an elephant on roller blades, I gathered up enough courage to ask him what was the matter, joking around that if he kept that look on his face much longer it would be stuck there permanently-then what would Hikari think?

I didn't really expect him to answer me. Yell at me yes. Blow me off yes. Answer my question...well they say sometimes what you least expect to happen just does. And it did that day. He and Yamato had a fight, not a big one from what he told me. I guess they never fought much. Jun and I do it often enough; wasn't it required for brothers and sisters to fight? I guess not with those two.

When he finished talking he looked up at me, his face much less tense than before, and…and he thanked me. For what I'm not sure, all I did was listen to the guy and when I told him that he just said it was what he needed. I looked at him funny.

 _"Well...don't be thinkin' I'm like your friend now or anything!"_

Yes I said that. When I get uncomfortable I don't say the smartest things.

He just shook his head, smiling a bit and looked up at the sky. _"I wouldn't dream of it."_

I watched him then as if my eyes were really open for the first time, and I realized that maybe, juu~st maybe he wasn't so bad after all.

We are friends now, and no, I'm not afraid to admit it. It was just that whole Hikari thing that got in the way or I'm sure we could have been friends earlier...well, eventually anyway. Oh I'm still pining over Hikari. Who couldn't fall in love with that kind of light? Not me.

"So am I going to have to play twenty questions or are you going to spill?" I've always felt the direct approach was best, and in this case it works somewhat since I do get a grunt out of him, which usually means he's ready to talk.

"She's getting married."

"...Huh?"

He turns his head around and looks at me briefly. "My mom."

I say the first thing that comes to mind. "Uh...congratulations...?"

He moves one of his hands and grips the poor sand tightly.

"I'm guessing you're not happy about this...?"

"Give the man a prize!"

Great, just what I needed. Sarcasm. I sit up from the swing and drop down right beside him though I don't say anything. I know he didn't mean it...well I _hope_ he didn't mean it, but it's not like I care anyway...well, not really. Heh, if someone could hear my thoughts now they'd probably be wondering where all my self-confidence went. It's still there, I'm just more aware of it now and keeping it in check. Miyako thinks it's an improvement. Eh, she would.

I glance over at him but I'm not able to meet his eyes; I'm just graced with his stony profile. I prod his shoulder. "Come on Takeru."

He drops the sand and resumes his earlier position, staring out into the woods. He doesn't say anything for a whole ten minutes and I'm just about to give up and leave him there. I've never been real patient. Sitting here doing nothing is tough enough as it is and I think my limit is about to be reached. I don't think he's up to me jumping him again like I did last time. My jaw still hurts just from thinking about it.

"She never said anything."

I come to full attention when I hear him, almost missing the words because they're spoken so softly.

"I had no idea. I met him once but I didn't think anything about it. It was just another guy. Then today she just told me he asked her and she said yes. She didn't even talk to me before she gave him his answer. She didn't even care about how I felt!"

"So...how do you feel about it?"

"I _hate_ it!" The look he gave me told me there was no doubt that he _did_ hate it and I felt myself shy away from the glare. You know I've heard about the Ishida temper, but whatever words Taichi used to describe it didn't even come close to what I was seeing. Thankfully he looked off again, moodier than ever but at least he's not looking at me like that anymore. This wasn't going to be easy, but nothing's ever been easy for me. Look who I have for a sister. Okay I didn't mean that, reallly I didn't...

"Well...why?"

"B-Because-"

"Because...?" I drawl out.

He shoots a dirty look at me. " _Because_ this isn't something you can just go and decide on your own."

I looked at him oddly at that remark. "It isn't? She is the one getting married."

He lets out a frustrated breath, blowing up the hair that never seems to get out of his face. "But it concerns _both_ of us. It wasn't just for my mom to decide. It-It's...She didn't even think about how this would affect us."

I give him a sideways glance. "Affect _you_ , you mean?"

"I-it's not..." He shakes his head, looking down. "You don't understand," he finishes quietly.

I rock back and forth a bit thinking it over. Maybe I don't understand. It's not like my parents are divorced or anything. How would I know what it felt like?

I try to think up something to say, _anything_ , but I guess even after all these talks I'm still not good at this. I never was. "Is," I pause, then shake my head and start again. "Is he a bad guy or something?"

"...What?"

I finger the sand beneath me. "Is he a bad guy? I mean does he treat your mom okay? Do you like him?"

He looks at me with a confused expression as if he'd never thought about this question before. "He's okay...I guess."

I throw up my hands. "So what's the problem?"

He scowls again. "You don't get it. I...it's just-"

"What? What don't I get? You say he's all right. Does he make your mom happy?"

He sighs, eyes focused on the ground now. "Yeah...Yeah I guess so."

"Well, don't you want your mom to be happy?"

His head snaps up, eyes narrowed. "Of course I do! Are you saying I don't?"

"I'm not saying anything," I throw back evenly. "I'm just trying to figure out what the hell is bothering you so much that you can't be happy for your mom who's marrying a guy you even admit to being okay." It's my turn to let out a frustrated breath and I take off my goggles and flipped them about in my hands to calm me down. Time passes. I inhale a steady breath, exhaling slowly. "What's really bothering you, TK?"

"What do you mean?" he says with as much nonchalance as he can manage, though I can already hear the pout in his voice.

"Cut the crap, all right? This can't be the main thing bugging you."

...

I sigh again. God I don't think I've sighed this much in my entire life and it was all because of him. This is all just really getting to me and I never let anything get to me, too much to do in life than worry I say. "Look, do you honestly, absolutely do not want your mother marrying this guy?"

He doesn't reply immediately but eventually shakes his head.

"Do you think he'll be a bad dad?"

Again no.

"Are you just worried about how this is going to change things?"

You hesitate.

Bingo. You're afraid of what's going to change, huh? "TK, you'll still have your mom. It's not like she'll love you any less."

He shakes his head again. "I know that. It isn't that."

"Then what _is_ it?" I really want to know.

He's quiet again though when he opens his mouth the words come out softly almost careful like he's not sure if he wants to say it. "If mom gets married, we'll never be a family again."

I think that just flew right over my head. No, I'm _sure_ that flew right over my head. "But you'll still have you mom; you're just getting a new-Ohhh." If I had a light bulb over my head it'd be blinding now. It doesn't seem like he heard me though since he's still talking.

"It's just...I've always hoped that they would get back together. They've been getting along pretty well since we moved to Odaiba. I just thought..." His face crinkles into a frown. "I was stupid; I am stupid. No matter how much I hoped when I was a kid they never got back together then. And now...now it'll never happen. We'll never be a family again."

He just stops talking, forehead resting on his knees and I know it's my turn to say something and it has to be good. I brace myself. "Takeru...stop being an idiot."

He rolls his head to the side and peeks over his arms with _the_ look. "Excuse me?"

I smile. "You heard me. Stop. Being. An idiot." I sigh. What is it, fifty now? I've lost track already. "Look, I may not know anything about how you feel about this situation, but what I do know is that nothing is really going to change." God you're actually listening to me. Don't screw this up Daisuke.

"What I mean is your parents must have split up for a good reason or else they'd still be together." Well that makes sense...keep going. "And what if they did get back together but it just ended up like it used to? I don't know what it was like for you back then, but I'm pretty sure it couldn't have been that great."

He nods, eyes dull. "It was worse. They were always fighting. Yamato would stay with me during those nights when they got really loud." He smiled a bit sadly at that.

I nod, happy my point got across though even happier I had a point to make in the first place. These conversations with Takeru must be having a good effect on me. "There you see."

Your face takes an almost panicked look then like you really don't want to accept that. "But what if they didn't start fighting again? What if they did get along?"

"But what if they _didn't_ TK? You can play this game all you want but it'll get your no where." I lift my hand, intending to put it on his shoulder but stop myself. "Look, all I'm saying is that Yamato will still be your brother. Ishida-san will always be your dad and the same goes with your mom. It's up to you if you want to think of this new guy as your dad and if you can't, I'm sure he won't hold it against you...I think. Well anyway, it's not so bad right now is it? I mean you still get to see Yamato like practically every day. It's not like he's going anywhere neither is your dad." I tilt my head to the side. "So are you cool with this now, or do I need to go get Yamato. My head's starting to hurt with all this logic."

He's quiet for a moment and I think that I really do need to go find his brother, but I see the last bit of tension course out of his body and he just slumps a bit. "No. I think...I think it'll just take some time to get used to."

"Hey, no one's rushing you." I give him a "friendly" punch on the shoulder, smiling widely.

He nods, something of the old Takeru coming back as he offers a small smile of his own. "Yeah, I guess." He's quiet again looking at his knees. "...Hey, Daisuke."

"Hmm?"

He lifts his eyes. "Thanks."

I beam back a smile, pointing a finger proudly to my chest. "Hey, I'm not the bearer of friendship for nothing!"

He smiles at that, head moving back and forth in disbelief.

"So!" I begin, putting on my goggles before stretching my arms over my head and standing up. "Wanna go play soccer or something?"

He looks up at me. "Or something," he replies with a small grin.

I'm actually being civil today (Mom would be proud, nah who cares what Mom thinks. _Hikari_ would be proud) because I hold out my hand to him. He looks at it for a second before taking it and I pull him up. I think his legs fell asleep because we stumble a bit and he winds up grabbing me to keep his balance.

The next thing I know my face is about an inch away from his and I'm just too surprised to move. You know, it's funny. I don't know why I notice now or why I notice at all, but he's not wearing that dinky hat of his and I'm actually using this awkward moment to wonder why he wears the stupid thing anyway. I mean anyone with two eyes could see he looks better without it. Whoa, back up. Where the heck did that come from? And why the heck am I blushing!

Mind stuck in a (hopefully) temporary panic I'm surprised I even saw that smile slowly creeping up on his face, but I'm glad I did since it was a smile I've seen on a couple of occasions.

He's going to do something. More importantly, he's going to do something to _me_.

And he does. It was just a brief contact at first that is before he pressed his lips with a bit more pressure against mine. I froze when I should have popped him a good one. _Damn_ that was my first kiss and I was saving that for Hikari…no matter how long it looked like it was going to take. Why that—hee~y, this isn't so bad. Actually this feels kinda good. Who am I kidding? This feels _real_ good. Who knew Takeru could be such a good kisser? Oh wait. He was an Ishida. So _this_ is why Taichi always looks so damn happy when he's with Yamato.

When he finally pulls away, we're both gasping for air. I think my face is beet red and you know, I never knew my heart could beat this fast. I can't believe he just did that. What is he thinking? What—

Before I can think any further he jumps out of my arms and starts running towards the basketball courts shouting over his shoulder, "Last one there has to buy the other ice cream!"

I blink before, "H-Hey! You cheated!" And then I was off after him, puzzled at first but shook it off and replaced it with a smile as I followed his laughing body.

I have no idea what that was all about, not that I ever do; I'm slow like that. But this time there is something I do know and it's that things were definitely going to be interesting from now on. And you know what else? I know for a fact that you won't be hearing any complaints from me.

"Hey Daisuke! What's keeping you?"

My eyes meet briefly with blue and my smile widens.

Nope. None whatsoever.


End file.
